Investigating Teacher Candidates’ Mentoring of Students at Risk of Academic Failure: A Canadian Experiential Field Model

In this study, the authors explore a Canadian field experience model in a bachelor of education program that focuses on mentor‐based relationships between teacher candidates and students at risk of dropping out of high school. They examine teacher candidates’ and at‐risk students’ attitudinal approaches. The model emphasizes praxis and social justice, and the authors argue that it would benefit from a greater emphasis on critical literacy theory. Data were collected through triangulation of Ministry of Education documents, a literature review, program coordinators’ informal reflections and field notes, and interviews. Interview participants were two teacher candidates, three at‐risk students, and three Student Success teachers. The mentoring improved human relations and attendance more than grades for the at‐risk students. The results indicate that at‐risk students feel individually empowered through the mentor‐based model and teacher candidates demonstrate insights into their mentoring relationships.     

Context and Sources in Broadcast Television Coverage of the 2004 Democratic Primary

This study examined context variables (reporter speculation, multiple viewpoints, and story emphasis) and source variables (anonymous sources and source transparency) in broadcast television coverage of the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. Primary coverage was compared with coverage of other major stories. Primary coverage was no more focused on conflict than were other major stories. Primary coverage was, however, more focused on winners and losers, and primary reporting was more likely to include reporter speculation. Primary stories were just as likely to include anonymous sources as were other major stories, but primary stories also were more likely than other major stories to fully identify sources.     

An Analysis of Aptitude as a Predictor of Achievement in an Individualized Mode of Health Instruction

This author questions the traditional relationship between aptitude and achievement in an individualized mode of health instruction. Measures were taken on time in instruction, gain scores from pre- to post-tests and score on the American College Test Battery on 120 students in an open learning centre. An individualized mode of instruction was used with printed and mediated materials. An analysis of these data indicated that time was a more significant predictor of gain than aptitude. As students spent more time in this programme, their gain scores increased. This seems to be typical of the learning theory.     

Retrospective cytological evaluation of indeterminate thyroid nodules according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification and comparison of clinical evaluation and outcomes

The cytology of 130 indeterminate nodules (Thy 3) was retrospectively reviewed according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification. Nodules were divided into Thy 3a (atypical features) and Thy 3f (follicular lesion) categories. Histology was available as a reference for 97 nodules. Pre-surgical evaluations comprised biochemical tests, color-Doppler ultrasonography (US), semi-quantitative elastography-US (USE), contrast-enhanced US (CEUS), and mutation analysis from cytological slides. Thyroid malignancy was the final diagnosis for 19% of surgically-treated nodules. No statistically significant difference in the risk of malignancy was found between Thy 3a (26%) and Thy 3f (14%) nodules. Histology of the Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules showed a higher incidence of Hurtle cell adenomas in Thy 3f (29%) than in Thy 3a (3%) nodules (P=0.01). The only pre-surgical difference concerned the BRAF V600E mutation, which was positive in some Thy 3a but not in any Thy 3f nodules (P=0.04). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to obtain cut-off values from US (score), USE (ELX 2/1 strain index), and CEUS (time-topeak index and peak index) data. The cut-off values were similar for Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. Data showed that malignancy can be suspected if the US score is >2, ELX 1/2 strain index >1, time-to-peak index >1, and peak index <1. In a sub-group of 24 revised nodules (12 Thy 3a and 12 Thy 3f) with histology as a reference, the diagnostic power of cumulative pre-surgical analysis by means of US, USE, and CEUS showed high positive and negative predictive values (83% and 100%, respectively) for the presence of malignancy in Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. In conclusion, in our series of revised Thy 3 nodules, malignancy was low and displayed no significant differences between Thy 3a and Thy 3f categories. The use of cut-offs based on histology as a reference could reduce surgery. Our data support the conviction that, in mutation-negative Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules, observation should be the first choice when not all instrumental results are suspect.     

Alternate eye suppression and reading ability: little or no effect

The relationship between visual disorders and reading disability has been a source of controversy. Although much has been written, few clear relationships have been established. This study examined a particular visual disorder, alternating the use of the eyes. It has been generally assumed in the professional literature that eye alternation has a negative impact on a child's ability to read and perform visual-motor tasks. To date, however, this assumption is without scientific validation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether alternating the use of the eyes does in fact have a negative effect on reading ability and on timed visual-motor tasks. Forty school-aged children, aged six to 14, were selected from the patient population of four ophthalmologists. Twenty alternators, whose ocular conditions were verified by ophthalmologic examination, were obtained. The control group was obtained by matching children with normal eye exams to the alternators. All subjects were given the WISC-R (Wechsler, 1974) and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests, Form B (1973). Results of the study indicated that the reading achievement of eye alternators was no different than it was for visually normal children. Also, alternators are no more likely to have difficulty with the visual-motor tasks. Although alternators may score poorly on vision screening tests, there is no indication that their visual problems will affect their school achievement.     

Assessing teacher practice and development: the case of comprehensive literacy instruction

In this paper, we report on 2 studies developing, testing, and using an observation tool for measuring primary literacy instruction, the Developing Language and Literacy Teaching (DLLT) rubrics. In Study 1 (an instrumentation study), we show that the DLLT has a high level of internal consistency, that there are high levels of inter-rater reliability when the tool is used by in-school coaches, that the items order consistent with a hypothesized developmental trajectory, and that the DLLT can distinguish between novice and more experienced teachers at one time point. In Study 2 (a 3‐year longitudinal study), we show that the DLLT is sensitive to growth in teaching practice, that this growth is related to exposure to one-on-one coaching, and that teacher practice as measured by the DLLT is related to teachers' value added to student achievement year by year.     

Geriatric Field Education in Social Work: A Model for Practice

It is expected that the demand for gerontological social workers will increase as the elderly population continues to grow. However, many practitioners enter the aging field with little or no formal training. Successful gerontological social work practice requires workers to be knowledgeable and technically competent. Fieldwork plays a critical role in social work students' development and training. This paper describes a specialized social work practicum which instructs graduate social work students in the skills and abilities required to work in contemporary geriatric practice. The setting for the internship, its format, its major goals, and student experiences are described.